Ottawa, ON — Canada saw its total investment in building construction rise slightly by 0.4 per cent to $20.3 billion in April. Residential sector edged down 0.7 per cent to $14.4 billion, while the non-residential sector was up by 3.4 per cent to $5.9 billion, according to Statistics Canada.
Investment in single-family homes declined 2.1 per cent to $7.7 billion in April, the lowest level since November 2021. In April, notable gains from Nova Scotia (up 15.2 per cent) were offset by declines seen in Ontario (down 4.2 per cent) and Quebec (down 4.4 per cent)
The multi-unit construction sector saw an increase, up 0.8 per cent to $6.7 billion. The non-residential sector saw its largest monthly increase since June 2020, up 3.4 per cent. The total value of industrial construction investment rose 5.4 per cent to $1.2 billion, while commercial construction investment increased 3.7 per cent to $3.2 billion.
Ontario contributed most to the increase in commercial construction, up 6.7 per cent to $86.2 million. This was the 11th consecutive monthly increase for the commercial construction sector.
Institutional construction investments increased 1.2 per cent to $1.4 billion in April. Overall, seven provinces reported gains, with Ontario leading, up 2.5 per cent to $12.9 million.